BBSF gets it. Steps inside one, steps inside two, steps inside 3. Swerves around a 4th, dummys around another , chips ahead, regathers, falls down, gets back up and keeps running, bulldozes over another , 3 men are trying to tackle him now, hes through all of them, passes to himself, hes down the touchline, its luke covell in full stride, he dives ...is he there????
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Luke Covell Stories
After recently catching up with Luke, he was able to tell me about some tales of his life.
Growing Up
Lukes now famous and successful career in rugby league, began in a year I like to call 2003, where this now famous character from Goondiwindi debuted for the Wests Tigers against a rampaging Newcastle Knights side. Never had I been taken by a player since the golden child of Zimbabwe Cricket Craig Wishart scored 172 not out against a Namibian XI in round 1 of the Cricket World Cup 2003.
But before Luke was a star, the dream began, in the old paddocks of TG Gillers oval in Goondiwindi. Luke will never forget the old backyard matches he had with his sister Sally, his best mate Sam and the local neighbours. The rules were modifed to suit everyone. A few were:
1) No tackling (Girls only)
2) Winners kick
3) No Biting
4) Dummy Half cant score.
But unfortunately when mother Shelleys backyard was destroyed, the game was taken to the streets and they came up with rule 5. Since they lived in one of Goondiwindis busiest streets, where sometimes 5 cars would come by every hour, the team facing the oncoming would call 'car' or bus and off they would run.
They all had a dream of playing first grade rugby league, but Luke was the only one with the real talent to do it. Most of the players from those days went onto family jobs, while his good mate Sam spent his life in a wheelchair after a breach in rule 5."
His Father, His Mentor.
When Luke was 12, he got his first coach, when his father Bob took him in to teach him the fundamentals of Rugby League. When queried about this Luke replied Yes Bob was my first coach and he had some unusual methods, some which bordered on being illegal, however you could not say I was pushed into rugby league. I was given a choice between playing league, or getting the crap kicked out of me". Luke really cared for his father, and reasons he trained so hard, had to with how much he cared for him and wanted to make him proud. "And now as I look back on it, putting him into a retirement village was one of the toughest decisions I ever made as a kid, but with all my sporting honours taking up so much room someone had to go. It was either him or the pool table.
Penrith Supporters
As a famous rugby league star today, Luke spends a lot of time on the road. "You see a lot of interesting places living the job I do. Its funny all the interesting places you go to. There is no doubting Penrith is a nice place, and I remember playing their once in 2003 to a packed out stadium. Many of their fans had saved all year to afford a ticket ($17)." Said Covell. Penrith are known as a small town really to get behind their local team. "They take their football very serious. This was seen on the paper after they were defeated, a Penrith supporter was so upset he turned a gun into his television before turning the weapon onto his own body. It really shows you how serious some people take rugby league when they are prepared to hurt a TV".
Verbal Abuse
Playing Rugby League with passion like Covell does, you always have to be prepared to take alot of abuse from opposition players. So generally, you must learn to give it back. There is a certain art of verbal harassment, which is as big a part of rugby league as the scrum or the eye gouge. I know players who have been picked for their sledging and passion alone, like Terry Hill. Some would say its tradition for some of us wingers to get into our opponents ear to try and put them off their game. And you know, through all my experience I have found even the nicest conversations can get some players fire up. Take for example Hazem El Masri. All I had to say to that guy was How are you mate? and he would click it. Now that I remember that time, I am surprised the hotel operator put me through to his hotel room, seeing as the time was 4.00 in the morning.
He is not just a good footballer player, a character too.